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Aftermath

Latino students completing an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in California has increased eightfold in the past three decades. Although the quality of education has not seen an increase for California’s Latino students. In California the majority of K-12 students have been Latino for two decades and one in three workers are Latino. The population has grown faster than any other ethnic group over the past fifty years. From 1970 Latinos under the age of 20, made up 16 percent of the student population. In 2010 they were recorded as being 51 percent of the youth population. Looking forward K-12 public schools need to look at each student individually as they often come from different countries, speak different languages and have different experiences. Progress has been made in Latino students' high school drop out rate, decreasing from 27 percent in 1994 to 13 percent in 2015.

Change has occurred, but not enough. For Latino adults, they are least likely to attain a college degree compared to other ethnic populations. In 2005, 10 percent of Latino adults attained a college degree and in 2015 they ended at 11 percent. Today schools are more segregated compared to 1947. Although the Latino population has grown, their education has not kept up with it. In 2017 41 percent of Latino students did not meet the standard performance in California and 30 percent either met or exceeded standards. When they are in the classroom, teachers are less likely to believe the student is working hard or is academically capable. According to the California Department of Education, in 2017 only three in ten Latino students were eligible to attend a public university. The students continue to feel disconnected from their school and do not believe they receive fair treatment, stemming from teachers who discipline Latino students more often than their White counterparts.

Latino students are missing out on not only quality education, but co-curricular activities as well. They lack opportunity and access to activities such as music and sports. The students also encounter the barrier of cost and time in attempting to involve themselves in co-curricular activities. Representation has not progressed since the walkouts with 68 percent of California's K-12 teachers being White and only eight percent were Latino. In California, the gap between Latino teachers and Latino students is at 36.4 percent for the 2012-2013 academic year and this was the largest gap in the United States. For 36 percent of first-generation Latino college students, believed high school did not prepare them for higher education. Students move forward with their education at a disadvantage compared to their peers.

On February 16, 2018 an assembly bill amendment was introduced in California legislation focused on ethnic studies for students in grades 9-12. The bill would require high school students to complete a semester course in ethnic studies and allow local educational agencies to require a full academic year course in ethnic studies at their disclosure. On March 21st, 2018 the amendment was passed in a five to one vote.